Xingxing studied chemistry at the East China Normal University and obtained his master degree under the supervision of Prof. Junliang Zhang after working on aziridine chemistry. In 2013, Xingxing moved to Singapore to carry out his PhD studies at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the group of Prof. Yonggui Robin Chi on the development of new reactions and activation modes using NHC organocatalysis. He joined the Sparr group as a postdoctoral researcher in May, 2018, and currently focuses on the atroposelective synthesis of novel chiral scaffolds. In his spare time, Xingxing likes swimming, basketball, and jogging.

Retrosynthetic polyketide disconnection for unnatural aromatics
X. Wu, C. Sparr*
Trends Chem. 2022, 4, in press. 

Stereoselective Synthesis of Atropisomeric Acridinium Salts by the Catalyst-Controlled Cyclization of ortho-Quinone Methide Iminiums
X. Wu, C. Sparr*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202201424. 

Catalyst-Control over Sixfold Stereogenicity
X. Wu,⁺ R. M. Witzig,⁺ R. Beaud, C. Fischer, D. Häussinger, C. Sparr*
Nat. Cat. 2021, 4, 457–462. (⁺ denotes equal contributions). Preprint deposited on ChemRxiv.

Sulfinate and Carbene Co-catalyzed Rauhut-Currier Reaction for Enantioselective Access to Azepino[1,2-a]indole
X. Wu, L. Zhou, R. Maiti, C. Mou, L. Pan, Y. R. Chi*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.  2018, 58, 477–481

Construction of Fused Pyrrolidines and β-Lactones by Carbene-Catalyzed C−N, C−C, and C−O Bond Formations
X. Wu, L. Hao, Y. Zhang, M. Rakesh, R. Reddi, S. Yang, B.-A. Song, Y. R. Chi*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.  2017, 56, 4201–4206.

Polyhalides as Efficient and Mild Oxidants for Oxidative Carbene Organocatalysis by Radical Processes
X. Wu, Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, J. Ke, M. Jeret, R. Reddi, S. Yang, B.-A. Song,* Y. R. Chi*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.  2017, 56, 2942–2947.

Enantioselective Nucleophilic β-Carbon-Atom Amination of Enals: Carbene-Catalyzed Formal [3+2] Reactions
X. Wu, B. Liu, Y. Zhang, M. Jeret, H. Wang, P. Zheng, S. Yang,* B.-A. Song, Y. R. Chi*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.  2016, 55, 12280–12885.

Enantioselective [3+2] Cycloaddition of azomethine ylides and Aldehydes via Ni/bis(oxazoline)-catalyzed ring opening of N-tosylaziridines through a chirality transfer approach
X. Wu, W. Zhou, H.-H. Wu,* J. Zhang*
Chem. Commun.  2017, 53, 5661–5664.

Nickel(II)-catalyzed diastereoselective [3+2] cycloaddition of N-tosyl-aziridines and aldehydes via selective carbon–carbon bond cleavage
X. Wu, L. Li, J. Zhang*
Chem. Commun.  2011, 47, 7824–7827.

Direct Aza-Darzens Aziridination of N-Tosylimines with 2-Bromomalonates for the Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Donor-Acceptor Aziridines
X. Wu, L. Li, J. Zhang*
Adv. Synth. Catal.  2012, 354, 3485–3489.

Y(OTf)₃-Catalyzed Diastereoselective [3+2] Cycloaddition of N-Tosyl¬aziridines and Imines; Efficient Synthesis of Multisubstituted Imidazolidines
X. Wu, J. Zhang*
Synthesis  2012, 14, 2147–2154.

Rapid Access to Iridoids via Carbene-catalyzed Activation and Cascade Reaction of Unsaturated Carboxylic Esters
Z. Fu, X. Wu, Y. R. Chi*
Org. Chem. Front.  2016, 3, 145–149.

Sulfoxidation of Alkenes and Alkynes with NFSI as a Radical Initiator and Selective Oxidant
Y. Zhang, Z. R. Wong, X. Wu, J. L. S. Law, X. Huang, R. Webster, Y. R. Chi*
Chem. Commun.  2017, 53, 184–187.

Synthesis of Indanes via Carbene-Catalyzed Single-Electron-Transfer Processes and Cascade Reactions
Y. Wang, X. Wu, Y. R. Chi*
Chem. Commun.  2017, 53, 11952–11955.

Carbene-Catalyzed Reductive Coupling of Nitrobenzyl Bromide and Nitroalkene via the Single-Electron-Transfer (SET) Process and Formal 1,4-Addition
Y. Wang, Y. Du, X. Huang, X. Wu, Z. Zhang, S. Yang, B.-A. Song, Y. R. Chi*
Org. Lett.  2017, 19, 632–635.

Trimerization of Enones under Air Enabled by NHC/NaOtBu via a SET Radical Pathway
Y. Zhang, X. Wu, L. Hao, Z. R. Wong, J. L. S. Law, S. Yang, R. Webster, Y. R. Chi*
Org. Front. Chem.  2017, 4, 467–471.

N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Radical Reactions for Highly Enantioselective β-Hydroxylation of Enals
Y. Zhang, Y. Du, Z. Huang, J. Xu, X. Wu, Y. Wang, M. Wang, S. Yang, R. D. Webster, Y. R. Chi*
J. Am. Chem. Soc.  2015, 137, 2416–2419.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Formal [3+2] Cycloadditions of N-Tosyl Aziridines with Electron-Rich Alkenes via Selective Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage
L. Li, X. Wu, J. Zhang*
Chem. Commun.  2011, 47, 5049–5051.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed, Highly Diastereoselective, Tandem Heterocyclizations/[3+2] Cycloadditions: Synthesis of Highly Substituted Cyclopenta[c]furans
H. Gao, X. Wu, J. Zhang*
Chem. Eur. J.  2011, 17, 2838–2841.

Exo/endo Selectivity-Control in Lewis-Acid Catalyzed Tandem Heterocyclization/Formal [4+3] Cycloaddition: Synthesis of Polyheterocycles from 2-(1-Alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones and 1,3-Diphenylisobenzofuran
H. Gao, X. Wu, J. Zhang*
Chem. Commun.  2010, 46, 8764–8766.